India launches a satellite to study black holes as it preps to become the fourth country to send humans into space

• India launched a satellite to investigate black holes, following the US in 2021.
• The launch is part of India's broader space goals, including sending three astronauts into orbit.
• India aims to send astronauts to the moon by 2040.

India launched its first satellite to study black holes on Monday as part of an ambitious space exploration project.

The X-ray Polarimeter Satellite will make India the second country to investigate black holes and other celestial objects using an astronomical space observatory. NASA launched a similar mission in 2021 and has since made unprecedented discoveries.